Recipe of the Week: Peanut Butter Pancakes with Berry Topping

Got a long weekend ahead of you? If a stay at a cozy inn isn't in the cards, throw a party with friends--but make an indulgent brunch. My favorite recipe right now when entertaining are these amazing Peanut Butter Pancakes. Skip the loaded-on syrup (although these do look delicious) and top with berries to get your sweet fix with an extra dose of antioxidants and less sugar. Bonus: The berries are major energy boosters, too.

Peanut Butter Pancakes:

1 1/2 cups lowfat milk

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 medium very ripe banana, mashed

2 cups whole-grain pancake mix

Canola cooking spray

Berry Topping:

1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

To make the fruit topping, toss strawberries with sugar and lemon juice in a large bowl and set aside until ready to serve.

To make pancakes, in a small saucepan warm the milk over low heat. Whisk in the peanut butter and combine until completely smooth, then remove from the heat.

In a large mixing bowl add the pancake mix. Stir in the banana and milk mixture and combine until just incorporated.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

Put a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray it with cooking spray. Put 1/4 cup of pancake batter in the center of the skillet and cook until golden brown. About 1 to 2 minutes per side. When bubbles in the center of the pancake have deflated, flip over and cook the other side. Store on a sheet tray in the preheated oven to keep warm while making the rest of the pancakes.

Transfer the pancakes to a large serving platter and serve with berry topping. Enjoy!